


catastrophic collision

by titanfucker69



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2017-03-01
Packaged: 2018-05-17 18:41:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5881450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/titanfucker69/pseuds/titanfucker69
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a teenager is a challenge within itself— school, drama, friends, family obligations, boys... Now, add the responsibility of having the fate of your whole city rest on your shoulders. Fortunately, Marinette Dupain-Cheng manages it all just fine. The young girl carries around a big secret with her: she's the masked hero who protects Paris known as Ladybug. With her partner, Chat Noir, by her side, the two are an unstoppable duo (despite the fact that Chat is an expert at getting on Ladybug's nerves). However, even though the two would trust each other with their lives, they have no idea who the other is out of the costume. It hardly bothers Ladybug, as she's far too busy worrying about how to capture the heart of her longtime crush, Adrien Agreste. But, what will Marinette do when she discovers that her biggest pet peeve is also the boy she is deeply in love with?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Have you ever been in love?

**Author's Note:**

> i'm chatbug trash just let me live in my chatbug trashcan forever

“No more evildoing for you, little akuma,” Ladybug released the butterfly, allowing it to roam freely. The restraints forced upon it by Hawk Moth were now destroyed by the powers of the miraculous.

“Pound it!” The duo cried in unison, bumping fists to show that their work for the day was finally over. “I’d say we make an excellent team. Don’t you agree, Bugaboo?” Chat Noir asked, raising his eyebrows in hopes of a positive response. Before Ladybug had time to respond with a snarky comment, Chat Noir’s ring began to beep, indicating that it was time for them to separate.

“I don’t think we really have time for small talk right now,” Ladybug pointed to the mechanism on Chat Noir’s finger. “Catch you later, Kitty,” She waved goodbye, preparing herself to sprint in the other direction. If she were to wait any longer, the powers of her miraculous would run out as well. Just as Ladybug put her foot forward, Chat Noir’s grip on her wrist caused her to stop in her tracks.

“Wait, why can’t you just… stay?” No longer did Chat Noir want to make weak attempts at flirting. He finally wanted Ladybug to recognize that his love for her was real. No matter what it took, he’d make sure of it. Unsurprisingly, Ladybug had no desire to reveal her identity or find out the real name of Chat Noir. “I told you before, we can’t,” She insisted, wiggling her wrist out of Chat Noir’s hand.

“It just doesn’t make sense though. Wouldn’t it make things easier if we knew who the other was behind the mask?” In Chat Noir’s mind, of course it would. Him and Ladybug could strategize together outside of the costumes, maybe even hang out at each other’s homes, or perhaps go on dates…

“I don’t think it would…” Ladybug shook her head, allowing silence to linger between the two before Ladybug’s miraculous started to beep as well. “We should get going now. I’m sorry, Chat.” Before Chat Noir could protest, Ladybug was already far gone. He sighed, following her lead by running in the opposite direction. There was a part of him the wanted to follow her— to chase her down until he was able to discover who Ladybug really was. Unfortunately, Chat Noir had far too much respect for Ladybug to go against her wishes, even if it was done out of love.

_________________________________

Ladybug managed to get to her room before her civilian form took over. Now, it was just Marinette standing in her room feeling confused and uneasy. “Tikki, do you think I did the right thing?” Marinette asked her kwami. Every now and then, Chat Noir would pester her about revealing her identity, but this time it seemed a bit more serious. It was almost like he was pleading.

“It doesn’t matter what I think, Marinette. Only you can decide what’s best. No matter what decision you make, I’m always going to stand by you!” Tikki piped, causing Marinette’s skepticism to change into relief. Of course she did the right thing, and there was no reason to think otherwise. Chat Noir was just being his usual, obnoxious self. “Thanks, Tikki. We better start heading back to school before lunch is over,” She smirked, allowing her tiny friend to hide in her purse.

_________________________________

Adrien stood at the front of the school, feeling a bit more crestfallen than usual after a daily rejection from Ladybug. If he kept mindlessly flirting with her in such an immature manner, he will never be able to get his feelings across. Ladybug does not think his feelings are genuine, but maybe, just maybe, if he were able to get them across as sincerely as possible, she would finally believe him. Still, even if that part of his plan were achieved, there was no guarantee that she would return his feelings. And with the way Adrien’s confidence was, he doubted Ladybug would ever feel the same way.

“Adrien?” The soft voice of Marinette caused the boy to become fully aware of his surroundings once more. “Oh, hey Marinette. Can I talk to you about something for a second?”

__________________________________

If it weren’t for a literal push from Alya, Marinette would have never been able to approach Adrien. “C’mon, girl. He’s alone, and he looks totally out of it. Just go up and say hi,” Her best friend insisted. “He looks kinda sad right now. I don’t think this is the right time to bother him,” Marinette said, rubbing her arm shyly. “The sadder the better. You can be his shoulder to cry on! No more excuses. Get to it.”

Marinette was prepared to further protest, but a firm shove from Alya caused her to land just inches away from Adrien. Now she was forced to say something. If not, the whole thing would seem rather strange. “Adrien?”

Despite being so close to him, it was as if Adrien didn’t even notice she was there until she spoke up. Though, when he finally turned to her, Marinette turned a ghastly shade of white, unsure of what she would say next. Alya gave her no time to plan for this, giving Marinette an idea of how the whole conversation would end. Adrien would respond to her, and she would turn into a stuttering mess. 

“Oh, hey Marinette. Can I talk to you about something for a second?” Adrien’s sullen expression transformed into something more warm and kind when he turned to her. Marinette could feel her knees weakening, her body shaking out of nervousness. “Me? But… me?” Was all Marinette managed to say. “Yeah, I think you’d be able to help me with this.”

Adrien grabbed ahold of her wrist and led her to the side of the school building where it was much more secluded. Marinette had never been alone with Adrien like this before, although she had fantasized about it many times. But actually living in the moment was utterly terrifying. 

“Have you ever been in love?” He questioned her. The answer to that was simple: _“Of course I’ve been in love! I’m in love with you, Adrien!”_

Marinette could never in a million years say that. Instead, she went with her usual response to anything Adrien said— complete gibberish, “Love? I don’t know… that’s… love is… um, maybe?” 

Adrien ignored the strangeness and continued. “I think I’m in love, and I don’t know what to do about it. It’s a lot more complicated than a normal crush, but it’s gotten to a point where I can’t hide it anymore. I can’t just move on, either… I just… look at her and see the world in her eyes. They’re so blue… I think I’d get lost in them if I stared for too long…— Sorry, I think I’m rambling now! Anyways, I just wanted to know what my next move should be from a girl’s perspective.”

So, Adrien was in love. He could have gone to anyone about this, but he chose her. This may have just been a coincidence, but something inside of Marinette told her that it wasn’t. And blue eyes? Was he talking about her?

“Well, she’d be stupid not to love you back! But, I’m not saying that I’m— I mean, she’s stupid. You’re never gonna know if she returns your feelings unless you tell her. Even if it’s not the answer you want, at least you’ll finally get closure. But… something tells me that things are going to work out between you two,” Marinette was able to talk to Adrien with minimal screw-ups. With what he had just said, and the poem that he wrote for Valentine’s Day, the chances of Marinette being this girl were very high.

“Really? You think so? I think you’re right about the closure part… Okay, I know what I’m gonna do next. Thanks, Marinette. You were a really big help!” Adrien’s tone was no longer worried. Instead, he sounded excited to confess his feelings to the “mystery” girl. Rather than telling Marinette how he felt right on the spot though, he ran away. Maybe he wasn’t talking about her, after all. The only way she could figure this all out was by asking Alya. Marinette walked back towards her best friend, who was waiting just a few feet back.

“You better tell me everything Adrien said! Gimmie all the details,” Alya commanded, pulling Marinette closer so that their conversation was out of earshot from anyone else. Once she was done explaining the details of their encounter, Alya was filled to the brim with excitement.

“This wasn’t just a coincidence. Adrien is in love with you! He came to you so he could subtly find out if you felt the same way. That’s the only reasonable explanation for all of this. Think back to the Valentine’s Day poem. It all just makes so much sense!”

“Yeah, that’s what I though. But if he was talking about me, why did he run away after telling me all that?”

“He wants to ask you out more formally. Knowing Adrien, he probably ran off to tell Nino all about it and figure out the best way to ask you out.”

The more Marinette talked to Alya, the more confident she became. Yes, it was only reasonable to think Adrien was talking about her. There was evidence to prove it. Knowing this was true though just made Marinette more nervous than usual.

“This is so great! What do I do if he really does ask me out?” Just imagining Adrien saying those words to her made Marinette feel woozy. This really was a dream come true.

“Say yes, duh! Let’s get to class now. We have a lot to discuss after school.”

_____________________________________

That was all Adrien needed— some honest, feminine advice from a friend. Marinette’s words confirmed that it was time to confess to Ladybug. No matter what the outcome was, Adrien would simply be content knowing that his feelings for her were finally out in the open. It was going to happen tomorrow. He wanted Ladybug to know that it wasn’t just Chat Noir who felt this way, but Adrien as well. Although he wasn’t sure how Ladybug would react, he knew this was the right thing to do.

By tomorrow evening, Ladybug would finally get to meet Adrien Agreste.


	2. Decisions

“Tikki, I can’t just wear any plain outfit! What if Adrien asks me out today?” The part-time hero was in frenzy on this particular morning. “Wow, I can’t believe those words just came out of my mouth!” She squealed, rummaging through the pile of clothes on the ground that she already sifted through minutes ago. “Marinette, if you couldn’t find the right outfit when you made that mess, what makes you think something’s gonna pop out the second time around?” Tikki groaned, having endured hours of the teen’s antics. “Ugh, you’re no help. I need to text some pictures to Alya,” Marinette insisted, swiping her phone off her desk to begin her search for Alya’s contact information. “You already tried calling Alya a little while ago. She’s not awake yet— no one is!”

Nonetheless, Marinette ignored the obvious words of common sense from her kwami and continued to type away on her phone. “Still no answer. I wonder what she’s doing…” Marinette pondered. “Sleeping!” Tikki was quick to shut down the mystery, but her words went into one ear and came out the other.

“Marinette, if Adrien really loves you, he’s not going to care about what you’re wearing. You still have three hours left until school. You should get some more rest before you really have to wake up, otherwise you’ll look like a zombie tomorrow.”

“Y’know you’re probably right. I’ll just crawl back into bed,” She made the climb to her mattress, and managed to lie still for a full fifteen seconds before popping back up from her pillow. “Oh, who am I kidding? How can I sleep with all this excitement happening?!”

Marinette was out of the bed once again, pacing back and forth while pondering what her next move should be. “I think I have some eye shadow in a drawer somewhere, should I try putting some on? I’ve never been good with eye makeup though! I’ll probably end up looking like a clown,” She mused. While Marinette was an expert in the art of fashion, she never considered makeup one of her fortes. On days where she had time, she’d apply blush, some mascara, and maybe even lip gloss, but that’s about as creative as she got with her face. “Help me out here, Tikki! I’m completely clueless!”

“I guess neither of us are going to be getting an extra few hours of sleep,” Tikki grumbled, mentally preparing herself for whatever Marinette had in store for the two.

________________________________________________

Once the general population of Paris was awake, Adrien’s eyes fluttered open. Knowing what a life-changing day this would be, it was only natural to wake up with a smile.

“Stop smiling like an idiot and get me some breakfast,” Plagg demanded, floating inches above Adrien’s head. Today, not even his pest of a kwami could bring Adrien down. “Geez, you’re not even gonna say anything to that? Your happiness is really starting to creep me out.”

Adrien, still unbothered by Plagg’s words, got out of his bed and started his morning ritual. “Say what you want, Plagg. Nothing’s gonna make me feel anything less than amazing today,” He affirmed, wiggling out of his pajamas and tossing them into the laundry basket. Once his clothes were out of the way, it was time to freshen up a bit in the bathroom. Plagg was quick to follow.

“What if Ladybug doesn’t want to tell you her identity after you expose yourself?” Plagg asked.

“It doesn’t matter. I just want to show her who _I_ am. If she doesn’t want to tell me who she really is after that, I can respect it. I feel like if I do this though, then Ladybug will finally be able to take my feelings seriously. Maybe she’d even consider wanting to be something more…” He answered. Meanwhile, the comb that previously resided on his bathroom counter was now grasped with a firm grip, prepared to tackle Adrien’s morning bedhead.

“Well, what if she does take off the mask and you find out she’s actually really hideous?”

“I doubt it. I can just tell she’s beautiful inside and out. But it’s not like I’m in love with Ladybug for her looks anyhow.”

“You really wanna do this then, huh?” Plagg’s tone no longer had an air of playfulness. Instead, he stared at Adrien with concern, knowing very well that whatever the outcome may be, the boy was not going to come out of it the same.

“Yeah, I really do, Plagg,” He assured the kwami.

_____________________________________________________

Alya was already waiting in the school’s courtyard when Marinette arrived. “You look great, girl! I don’t know why you’re stressing. This is like a dream come true for you, so just relax, okay?” Alya instructed. What her best friend said was true, but that did not put Marinette’s mind at ease. Yes, she was excited, but there was still a part of her that had doubts. What if he wasn’t talking about her after all? Not only would that be completely embarrassing, but it would practically crush Marinette’s heart.

“What are you guys so happy about this early in the morning? Did you two land roles in a dog food commercial or something?” Chloe asked. Sabrina was right behind her, snickering away at Chloe’s attempt to bring down the mood. “Shut it, Chloe. Why don’t you go bother someone who actually cares about what you say?” Marinette fired back with. Chloe opened her mouth to respond, but stopped when realizing that Adrien was in earshot. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I have more important things to attend to,” She sneered skipping over towards Adrien.

“Bonjour, mon amour!” She waved, snaking her arms around his neck and leaning in to give him a peck. Rather than entertaining her advances, he was quick to shut her down. “Hey, Chloe. Can we do this later? I have something important to do,” Adrien said, wiggling his way out from under her arms. When he was officially free, he walked over to Marinette. “Hey! Can I talk to you for a minute?” He asked. Marinette was frozen with fear, and Chloe was huffing with rage. How could the mayor’s daughter be put on hold for Marinette? This was appalling.

Marinette was far too nervous to bask in the jealous vibes given off by Chloe— in fact, she was too nervous to even think, causing her to turn into a statue right before Adrien’s eyes. Alya groaned before giving Marinette a firm slap on the back. “Of course you can. I’ll leave you two alone for a minute,” Alya smiled, walking away from the scene that just occurred. Once Marinette was in full control of her body, she eyed Alya helplessly, who simply replied with a wink and nod. Chloe walked away in a huff as well, with Sabrina attempting to offer comfort.

“I just wanted to say… thanks for helping me out yesterday. You really made me realize what I have to do,” He smiled softly, green optics staring at her with warmth. “Oh… it’s good. I mean— it’s okay. Don’t, er, mention it?” Marinette stammered, cringing at her own lame response. This boy was apparently going to ask her out today, and she still couldn’t muster up the courage to have a proper conversation with him. Some girlfriend she’ll be.

“You’re a really great friend,” Adrien thanked, outstretching his arm to tousle her hair a bit. “I gotta get to class. I’ll see you there though!”

A friend? What was he saying? Wasn’t he planning on asking her out today? She had no idea what to make of this. Perhaps Alya could offer some insight.

“So, what happened?! Did he ask you out?” Right on cue, Alya ran back over to Marinette. “No, he called me a good friend…” Marinette sighed, shaking her head back and forth. “What? Okay, tell me exactly what he said.”

When Marinette was done explaining their short-lived conversation, Alya stayed silent, attempting to figure out a reason as to why Adrien would act that way. “Hm, maybe he was nervous? But from what you said, he did seem kind of happy. I don’t know; this is tough. Give me a little while to think about this and I’ll report back to you after class,” She gave Marinette a thumbs up, still holding an optimistic view towards the whole situation.

“Give it up, Alya. I was never the girl… was I?” She didn’t dare make eye contact with Alya, knowing that the look of sympathy on her best friend’s face would only bring her to tears. In return to Marinette’s rhetorical question, Alya pulled her in for a hug. Still, Marinette refused to grow, using every ounce of her strength to hold back the tears threatening to emerge from her ducts.

“How could I be so stupid? I drove him right into the arms of some other girl! I just… I should’ve known he wasn’t talking about me,” Marinette said through the fabric of Alya’s shirt. “You’re not stupid, Marinette. You’re the smartest, sweetest, most adorable person I’ve ever met. If Adrien can’t see that, then he’s the one missing out.”

Her words sounded awfully clichéd, but coming from Alya, Marinette knew they were genuine, so she couldn’t help but let out a small laugh in response. She broke away from the hug and smiled weakly at Alya. “And, hey. Look on the bright side. Adrien seemed pretty nervous about asking this girl out at first, so there’s a chance he might be rejected. Then when he decides to move on, you never know what’ll happen!” Alya did her best to sound enthused, but she didn’t even believe it herself.

“Yeah, I guess so… It just would’ve been nice being his first choice…”

“You’re always gonna be my first choice, Marinette.”

________________________________________

Adrien was quick to exit the classroom around lunchtime, waiting eagerly for an akuma to arrive.

_Where’s Chloe when you need her?_

That girl was an expert at getting people akumatized. He knew it was a terrible thing to wish for, but he no longer had the strength to hold in his emotions. Besides, Ladybug and Chat Noir always managed to save the day.

“Adrien!” Nino called, running to catch up with the blond. “Dude, you just bolted out of the classroom. You gotta drop a deuce or something?”

The hero shook his head in denial, “What? No! I was just…”

“Whoa, I was just kidding. Even if you were, I wouldn’t tease you about it. It’s a natural body process that—”

“Enough of this crap, Nino,” Even as Adrien Agreste, he was still an expert at puns.

“Okay, I gotta admit, that was a good one. But seriously, what’s up with you today?” He asked, genuinely curious as to what was making Adrien act so strange. “There’s seriously nothing up with me. I just… feel good today. Wanna go grab lunch? I’m buying.” A perfect way to get off topic, as his love for food most definitely outweighed his love for Adrien. “You really know the way to my heart, Adrien,” Nino chuckled; far too busy wondering what he should eat to worry about Adrien. Hopefully, he could figure out the way to Ladybug's heart as well.

If it was any girl besides Ladybug, he’d be more than willing to tell Nino all about it. Unfortunately, his identity still remained a secret from everyone. If he were to admit he had a crush on Ladybug, he’d merely laugh it off, most likely saying something along the lines of, “Yeah, you and every other guy in this city.”

This was much bigger than a crush though. Adrien and Ladybug saw each other almost everyday. They’re bonded by something that she would never be able to share with anyone else besides him— their miraculouses. One of his main duties was to protect her; he knew that from day one. What he didn’t know though was that eventually he would end up falling for that same girl.

________________________________________

“Um, earth to Marinette? Class ended like five minutes ago and we’re still sitting here,” Alya waved a hand in front of Marinette’s face in attempt to bring her back to consciousness. “Huh? Oh, sorry. I zoned out for a minute there,” She giggled, pushing her seat away from the desk and scooping up her backpack. “Oh, okay? You seem to be in a better mood than you were this morning. I’m glad you’re not taking this too hard,” Alya attempted to make light conversation. “You mean when I found out Adrien is in love with another girl? Yeah, I’m totally over that. It was just a crush, y’know? I can hardly talk to the guy! How would a relationship between us even work?” Marinette sounded much to chipper for Alya’s liking. Under that layer of happiness was something much darker.

“You don’t have to act like you’re not hurting. It’s okay to be upset. Come with me to my house, we can talk about it while we have lunch together,” Alya insisted. She was completely worried. They both knew that Marinette’s act wasn’t healthy, and if she didn’t talk about it soon, it would get much worse. “Actually, my mom has this really great lunch for me waiting back at home, and I don’t wanna miss that. I’ll meet you back at school in a little while, okay?”

Alya was given no time to offer her input. Marinette ran off as soon as the last words escaped her mouth. She ran as fast as she could, not bothering to worry about the stares she received from her classmates. She ran until her legs ached and her lungs struggled to catch air. She ran until she felt that the force from the wind was successfully holding in her tears. She ran all the way home. Panting and sweating, she ran further after that. She ran until she was upstairs in her own bedroom, and only then did she stop.  
Her face landed straight into her pillow. For a few moments, the room was completely silent. If this lingered any longer, Marinette knew there’d be no way to stop her breakdown. Well, she did have time to let it out before school started again. Maybe it was best to do so while she had the chance.

“Marinette,” Tikki emerged from the purse and lay on the pillow where Marinette’s head rested. “I know things seem bad now, but it’s going to be okay. Luck’s on your side.”

She turned her head to face Tikki. No, she couldn’t cry. Tikki was counting on her to be strong. Marinette put her life in danger just about everyday, and never once did she become distraught over that. So, why would she cry over some silly crush? She couldn’t. It just wouldn’t make sense.

“You’re right, Tikki,” She lied, because truly, luck was not on her side. If it were, she wouldn’t be having this perpetual pain from the hole in her chest.

______________________________________________

Day turned to night, and Adrien still never got the chance to meet Ladybug. If there were no akumas, then there was only one other way he could reach her.

“Plagg, transform me!”

In the blink of an eye, Adrien Agreste was gone, and Chat Noir stood in his place. The two liked to take turns patrolling the city at night to make sure everything was calm before they went to bed. Tonight, it was Ladybug’s turn, but she could be anywhere in the city by now. He would find her though; he knew he would.

Using his staff as transportation, Chat Noir scoured the city for his partner. It was his last resort; a desperate attempt, really. Maybe if it were meant to happen, Chat Noir wouldn’t need to search for Ladybug. Maybe he was forcing fate into the wrong direction. Maybe this really was hopeless…

He was ready to give up for the night (and possibly give up entirely) until he spotted something far into the distance. The stick he possessed transformed into a pair of binoculars in order to get a better look of the Eiffel Tower. And there she was, sitting with her legs dangling off the structure as she stared into the distance. She was absolutely captivating even when she wasn’t trying to be. Everything in his body told him to go up there, but he had no desire to mess with fate. Still…

_Ah, screw fate._

With that, he was off to meet his lady at the top of the tower, who hadn’t even noticed Chat Noir was now right behind her. “Nice view,” He commented, settling down next to her. She jolted up, slightly startled from his presence. “Sorry, LB. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Chat Noir apologized.

Ladybug shook her head, “No, it’s not you. I’m just out of it today. But why are you here? Did you forget it’s my turn tonight?”

Out of it? Did something happen in her personal life? He craved further knowledge on the situation, but had too much respect for Ladybug’s privacy to pry. “No. I came here to ask you something, actually,” Chat Noir admitted.

“Alright, lay it on me, then.”

“Have you ever been in love?”

The question caused her to freeze, recalling the time Adrien asked her the exact same question yesterday. Thinking back to that moment brought up another wave of agony in her body. She didn’t want to think about love. Why did Chat Noir have to bring this up today out of all days?

“I… I don’t know,” She replied, eyes focused on the view of Paris.

“It’s a really crazy thing. It’s the best and worst feeling in the world, and feeling it for the first time is just… amazing.”

Chat Noir really knew how to get on her nerves. It was an amazing talent.

“Okay, what’s your point?” There was a hint of annoyance in her voice, and Chat Noir could sense it. Although it stunted his confidence, he still continued.

“My point is, if you find someone you love— like, _really love_ , then you should tell them. Don't you agree?”

“Sure, Chat.” At this point, she was only agreeing so he would leave sooner. Ladybug wanted nothing more than to be alone, and the topic of love wasn’t making her feel better.

There was a long pause. Chat Noir was finally going to do it. He was finally going to communicate his feelings. He gulped, letting out a large sigh before clearing his throat. He had to do it. He couldn’t back out…

“Ladybug, I love you. I’ve been in love with you for the longest time, and—”

“Enough!” She had it. On any other day, she could take Chat Noir’s silly games, but he pushed her to the breaking point. “…Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. I’m just not in the mood for jokes today, is all,” She managed to repress her anger, knowing she should not take it out on Chat Noir who wasn’t intentionally trying to bother her. “I’m gonna get going now. I think I just need to sleep this bad mood off.”

It didn’t work. He didn’t believe her. What was he supposed to do now, just let her walk away? No, he couldn’t. This time, he’d make sure she knew that he was serious. “Wait!” He called, grabbing her by the wrist and bringing her exit to a halt. Without a warning, the claws came in and there stood Adrien Agreste holding onto Ladybug’s wrist.

“I don’t want to hide who I am from you anymore. I just want you to know that I’m serious about what I said. My real name’s actually Adrien… and I’ll be honest: Adrien really isn’t as cool as Chat Noir. But, no matter who I am, my feelings don’t change. I’ll be there for you whether I’m Adrien or Chat Noir. I really do love you, Ladybug. And if you don’t want me to know who you are even after this, I understand. But, I just really wanted you to know who I was.”

She stood frozen in shock, unsure of how she was supposed to respond. This should be the best day of her life, right? The boy she was practically obsessed with was declaring his love for her. But he didn’t love Marinette; he loved Ladybug. He considered the girl under the mask as nothing more than a friend. No, he didn’t love her— at least, not the real her.

“I… have to go.” Ladybug pulled her wrist away from Adrien’s grasp and made a quick getaway. “Don’t go!” He cried. “Please…”

“You could always transform again and try to track her down,” Plagg suggested.

“I think we should just go home,” Adrien decided. What was he supposed to do? Track her down to her home and force her to reveal her identity? He could never do that— he didn’t want to do that. Adrien knew that there was a chance everything could end up bad because of this, but he thought he was prepared to expect the worse. But actually living in that moment of rejection was much worse than he expected. He was finally able to get his feelings across to Ladybug, she just didn’t return them. And that was okay… he supposed.

______________________________________________

Meanwhile, Ladybug didn’t make a single stop on her way home. After entering her room through the window, she transformed into her civilian form, but didn’t dare say a word. She had no idea how to process this. Should she be hurt? Confused? Angry? Sad? All of the above? This was too much to handle in one day. Her stomach was in knots, she felt nauseous and woozy as she crawled into her bed.

“Marinette… do you want to talk about it?” Tikki asked. Facedown on her pillow, Marinette was not capable of offering a proper response at the moment. However, Tikki’s voice did snap her out of her shocked state. As soon as reality hit, Marinette couldn’t hold it together anymore. She began to cry to a point where it became uncontrollable. She gasped for air through the tears, doing her best to muffle her pain with the pillow so as not to wake up her parents. She hated this. She wanted to be strong, but with what just happened, that was nearly impossible. Marinette was officially broken, and there was no one in the world that could put the pieces back together. 

Even Tikki was unsure of what to do. Right now, Marinette didn’t need advice. She needed comfort from a friend. Tikki snuggled up next to her hip. The violent sobs caused Marinette’s body to shake, but the tiny kwami still did her best to stay as close to Marinette as possible.

It took a while for Marinette to actually acknowledge Tikki (an hour to be exact). She had no more tears left, and now she was left exhausted. She began to close her eyes, but not before scooping Tikki up and holding her close to her chest. It was her way of offering a silent ‘thank you’ to the creature before drifting off into a deep sleep.


	3. luck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry ik this took 10000 years but life is a pain sometimes

        Everyone dreaded Mondays, but the hometown heroes had very specific reasons for wishing that alarm clock never went off this morning. Adrien was rejected by the love of his life, and since the usual chaos that surrounded Paris was stagnant, he hadn't seen her since the night she ran off. Marinette, on the other hand, was confessed to by the love of her life... but it wasn't necessarily a confession aimed at Marinette. Rather, it was for her alter ego, Ladybug. The struggles of being young and in love...

 

* * *

 

        Marinette trudged up the steps to her school, having no intention of interacting with anyone today. Especially not—

        "Hey, Marinette!"

        Adrien.

        Hearing that voice brought a sense of animosity. That sweet tone she usually would have flushed over now brought nothing but trouble. She watched as the boy ran over to her, silently comparing the similarities between him and Chat Noir. When she really took a good look at Adrien, she realized how ridiculous it was that she didn't figure this out sooner. Physically, Marinette knew the two vaguely looked alike, but in her mind, Adrien and Chat Noir were two different people. Chat Noir was cocky, loud, annoying, and far too flirtatious for her liking. But even so, she still trusted him with her life. Adrien was quiet, kind, charming, and overall an immaculate specimen. They were complete opposites, so how was it that they were the same people?

        "Hi Adrien," She replied coldly, eyes fixated on anything but his face.

        He was caught off-guard by her unusual behavior, but continued to speak nonetheless. "I worked up the courage to confess to that girl I was talking to you about," He began with.

        "Yeah, I know," Marinette's tone was anything but welcoming. But she quickly reeled back her words, completely forgetting that Adrien was still in the dark when it came to Ladybug's identity.

        "I mean, I knew you'd tell her. So, how'd it go?" She did not seem interested in whatever he had to say. It was more like she was simply trying to make friendly conversation.

        "Bad. Well... good. Um... I was kinda rejected. I was pretty bummed out at first, but I took the weekend to think about it, and now I'm not so down anymore. I think it's because... just being able to tell her how I really felt was a huge relief. And we're always gonna have this special connection, so even if she doesn't feel the same way now, that could all change in the future."

        What was she supposed to say? How would Marinette respond if this was a normal conversation between the two? One where she had no idea that her longtime crush was also the person she fought beside in order to protect the world. Nothing came to mind though, except a few simple words.

        "I wouldn't hold your breath on that."

        Before Adrien could question what exactly she meant, Marinette had already left the conversation. She was just about to make a clean getaway to class before being stopped by Alya.

        "Uh, hey! Welcome back from wherever you disappeared to all weekend. Did you not listen to all the voicemails I left you? I wanted to be there for you!" Alya cried.

        "I'm fine now, seriously. I just needed some time to myself, but I promise you, I'm over it."

        "Fine. But you would've been over it sooner if you marathon'd romcom movies and ate ice cream with me all weekend. Your loss."

        All Marinette could do was giggle at Alya's attempt to hide how truly worried she was over Marinette's brief hiatus from the outside world.

* * *

        Adrien was left alone to contemplate what Marinette's cryptic words meant. Was he saying he didn't have a chance with Ladybug? That didn't really sound like Marinette, but how else was he supposed to interpret it?

        "Wow, Marinette seemed a little mad when she walked away from you. Did you finally break her heart or whatever?" Nino asked, casually approaching his best friend.

        "What are you talking about?" Adrien was thoroughly confused at what Nino was talking about. How could he break someone else's heart when his was still a bit shattered from what occurred last week?

        "Wait... do you seriously not know?"

        "Know what?"

        And in reaction to that response, Nino couldn't help but break out into a fit of laughter, "Are you really that dumb?"

        "Just tell me what's going on," Adrien's patience was wearing thin.

        "Dude, Marinette totally has a thing for you. It's so obvious."

        And with those words, Adrien's heart sank. Without even knowing it, he had treated her so cruelly. If he knew about her feelings, he would have never approached her. He never got any vibes that Marinette wanted to be anymore than friends, yet Nino noticed it before Adrien did. Maybe he really was dumb... Though, that would explain why she acted so coldly towards him. Geez, Adrien really was a terrible person.

        "I... I gotta go apologize to her!" Adrien was quick to sprint towards the direction he saw Marinette heading towards, leaving Nino in the dust.

        "Alright, I'll just be here, I guess... all alone," Nino said to Adrien, but he was already long gone by the time a response was formed.

* * *

        "Marinette!"

        Perhaps if she pretended not to hear anything, it would go away...

        "I'm glad I caught you. I really need to tell you something."

        But no. Yet again, luck proved to be on the opposing team. However, Alya quickly swooped in to her defense, "Marinette and I are kinda busy, so beat it."

        Who needed luck when she had Alya on her side? And while the gesture was nice, Marinette gave her a look that indicated it was fine to leave her alone with Adrien.

        "Alright, I'll meet you in class," She gave her a quick hug. "And _you_ —" She turned to Adrien and pointed to fingers to her eyes, then towards Adrien's directions. The universal signal for 'I'm watching you'.

        When the two were alone, Adrien pulled her to the side a bit, far out of hearing distance from anyone else. "Listen, I talked to Nino, and I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry."

        "For what? You didn't do anything wrong..."

        "...He told me that you had feelings for me"

        Even with the anger she felt towards Adrien, hearing those words from his mouth sent her into a silent panic.

        "Oh," Was all she managed to come up with.

        "If I knew, I would have never come to you about all that stuff. I really do feel like the worst person ever. But I wanna respond to you properly... even if you didn't outright confess anything to me... Okay, you're a good friend, Marinette. And, I think you're... pretty cute," He paused, feeling his face burn up with embarrassment. "I just never really took the time to consider you as anything more than a friend. And... it wouldn't be right to go out with you when I'm still in love with someone else."

        Sweet, gentle Adrien. Even while rejecting her, she couldn't help but admire him while he let her down so kindly. That only lasted until the image of Chat Noir came into her head. He wasn't just Adrien anymore. It was much more complicated than that. She couldn't love him anymore knowing that he could only love a certain part of her.

        "I kinda figured you'd say that, so I really didn't need the formal rejection. But thanks, it _was_ a little sweet." A half-smirk formed upon Marinette's face as she began to accept that her and Adrien could never be.

        "So... is it okay if we still stay friends?" He asked hopefully.

        Marinette hesitated, allowing a long pause to linger in order to build up the anticipation. "Yeah, of course it's okay."

        Adrien breathed a sigh of relief, "Great! I gotta go meet back up with Nino, but I'll see you in a bit."

        He began to walk away, with Marinette's final goodbye being, "Catch you later, Kitty."

* * *

 

        That familiar phrase caused Adrien to freeze. It was the same tone that she used, the same voice that she had, the same nickname she gave him...

        "L-Ladybug?" He turned around, but Marinette had already walked away. He could have sworn those words were from Ladybug, but Marinette was the only one with him. Could it be that... no, of course not. Ladybug was the only thing on his mind these days, so it'd make sense that every girl around him would start sounding like her.

        Actually, now that he thought about it, that probably wasn't normal at all.

        _Am I hallucinating now?_

        Ladybug really was driving him to insanity. This wasn't fair at all. Adrien was here suffering, while Ladybug was most likely going on with her life how she normally would.

        How _lucky_ for her.

 

 

 


	4. Superheroes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is so late if you're still reading this then god bless you

Nothing like a good ol' akuma attack to force awkward confrontation, right? Hawkmoth had been laying low the past couple of weeks, giving the heroes of Paris no reason to transform. However, that all changed today when a new villain appeared in the city, causing the famous duo to awaken their powers and fight together for the first time in a while. Adrien was hoping for another day or two of silence before he had to face Ladybug again, but duty called, and the boy was forced to man up. He arrived at the scene of the battle, where his partner was already in the middle of taking down the enemy.

"Nice of you to join me, finally." There was no indication of discomfort over what occurred last week. She was most likely trying to make the rejection easier on Adrien, who honestly felt more embarrassed by this fact. Ladybug was taking pity on him.

"Yeah, sorry, uh... hey, about-"

"Save it, Romeo. Let's make small talk after we beat this thing."

"Right, of course. Okay."

* * *

 

Truthfully, the battle ended much sooner than Ladybug hoped for, as she was not excited to face Chat Noir afterwards. At this point though, she _did_ have the upper hand. The secret was out- for her, at least. Knowing that took a bit of the pressure off for now.

"Ladybug..." Adrien approached her as his ring began to signal that time was running out. "I guess that doesn't matter for me anymore, but it does to you, so I'll make this quick... When you ran away the other day, was that your way of rejecting me?"

Even Ladybug herself didn't have an answer for that. She was confused, yes. However, she never really took the time to figure out what she'd say when her and Chat Noir would evidently have to meet again. She was hoping that maybe if she acted as if nothing happened, he would soon follow, but alas, that plan fell through.

"Chat, Adrien, whoever you are. I'm... different without my suit on. I'm a lot less Ladybug when I'm just being myself. But this suit... it gives me more confidence, I guess. It makes me more likable..." She trailed off, hurt by her own words. "I know you think you're in love with me, but you're just in love with someone who doesn't actually exist. So, I think you should move on."

"I know what you mean," Chat Noir replied with.

"I don't think you do."

"Yes, _I do!_ Listen to me, Ladybug. Without my suit on, I'm a whole different person, like, _really_ different."

Of course, she already knew that though. Still, he continued.

"You said the suit gives you more confidence, and it does the same thing for me. Adrien and Chat Noir... sometimes I think they're two different people, but they're both still parts of me. Just like Ladybug is still apart of you too. She's real. A-and... the feelings I have for her are real," He assured her, hands trembling as he continued with yet another confession. "I was terrified to reveal myself to you, because when I'm not Chat Noir, I'm just some dorky, shy, former home school kid with only a handful of friends. I'm nothing like a superhero. But..." He paused as the suit disappeared and Adrien stood before her, "But maybe you could get to know that part of me too... and learn to like it?"

And that was when it hit her. She could feel hurt for Adrien loving Ladybug and not Marinette. Yet, this whole time, Marinette had only loved Adrien, and not Chat Noir. If she really loved Adrien, she'd learn to love all parts of him, not just the parts she preferred. She always loved Chat Noir, but never as more than a friend. Maybe it was time to start changing. Maybe she had to build up the courage just like Adrien did and reveal her true self. Maybe it was time to stop hiding.

Her earrings blinked, and in a few seconds, she'd be back to being Marinette. She still had time to run, but should she?

* * *

 

Adrien wouldn't stop her if she still wanted to run away. At this point, he had said everything possible, poured his whole heart out to her. If that wasn't enough, then there was nothing left to do. He stood there, waiting to see what her next move would be. He expected the girl to run, but she stayed frozen. Even after the transformation was finished, and Marinette was there to replace Ladybug, she continued to play statue. Adrien was left in awe, but he was the first to speak up.

"...Marinette? You're Ladybug?" He reached out to touch her arm, to which she instinctively pulled away from. "Oh, sorry. I just... can't believe this is real. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Well, you confessed your love to me when I was Ladybug, then rejected Marinette! What was I supposed to do?"

"I don't know! You could've at least told me it was you so we were on the same page!" He wasn't angry, simply shocked, and a bit confused.

In the midst of the chaos, Plagg had approached Tikki who was floating near Marinette.

"Hey, it's been a while, hasn't it, babe?" He winked at the other kwami.

"Now's not a great time, Plagg," Tikki whisper-yelled, not wanting to disrupt what was going on between their owners.

"Wait," Adrien turned his body towards the creatures, "You guys know each other?"

"'Course we do. Tikki's had a thing for me since forever," Plagg insisted, to which Tikki merely rolled her eyes at.

The attention was brought back to the main problem once Marinette changed the topic.

"So what now, Adrien? Do we start dating? Because I'm pretty sure you didn't wanna date me the other day when I was just plain old Marinette."

"Hey, that's not fair. It's not like you ever wanted to date Chat Noir when he's been **blatantly** hitting on you this whole time."

"How was I supposed to know you were serious? God... I knew things would just get more confusing when I told you who I was.

"That doesn't have to be true. I mean, we both said that we're a little different when the suits are off. We could try getting to know all parts of each other and then... see what happens?" He suggested. The whole situation was still a mess in his mind, but he had no intention of giving up.

* * *

 

"So... you wanna like... hang out and stuff?" Marinette quirked an eyebrow, unsure of what Adrien was implying.

"Well, yeah. There's no school tomorrow. We could meet up at the park and... I don't know... get food."

"Like a date?" She asked.

"No! Or, yes. Maybe? What do you want it to be?"

Seeing Adrien get flustered around her elicited a giggle. Usually, it was always Marinette fumbling over her words. But seeing him like this was a little... cute. Extremely cute, to be precise, but this was Chat Noir, and 'cute' would never be the first adjective she'd use to describe her partner. It seemed as if Marinette's laugh only caused him more stress though. His hands were shaking now.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Around noon," Marinette smiled, turning away from Adrien and walking towards the direction of her house.

 


End file.
